PQ TechWatchA product of the EPRI Power Quality Knowledge program

Understanding
Harmonics and Interharmonics
November 2011

Randy Horton, EPRI

Contents SUMMARY

An interharmonic is a noninteger multiple of the fundamental

frequency. Many nonlinear loads that produce harmonics also
Interharmonics................................. 1
produce interharmonics, such as variable frequency drives,
Interharmonics Theory................ 1
induction furnaces, cycloconverters, and AC and DC electric
Interharmonics Generation......... 2
arc furnaces. Left unchecked, they can lead to flicker and other
Interharmonic Limits.................. 3 system issues.

Measurement and Analysis............ 5 This TechWatch discusses how interharmonics are created and
Instrument Transformers............ 5 their potential impact on a distribution system. Additionally,
Signal Processing....................... 6 application information is presented on how to evaluate
harmonic and interharmonic levels and mitigate potential
Mitigation......................................... 7 issues that can arise. Accurate measurement data are key in
Performance of Shunt evaluating the potential impacts of harmonic and interharmonic
Compensators............................ 8 voltage distortion, but these measurements can be difficult to
Filter Application in Radial acquire. Several options are discussed for reducing errors from
Systems................................... 10 instrument transformers and using advanced signal processing
Filter Application in Network methods to allow for more reliable metering.
Systems................................... 11
Mitigation of harmonics and interharmonics takes the form of
Notes.............................................. 13 either reducing the flow of harmonic or interharmonic current
or modifying the impedance that the harmonic or interharmonic
current flows through. Capacitor banks or shunt filters are
often used successfully to modify the system impedance.
Information on the frequency response of each type of filter
and how it interacts with the system is delivered here to help in
choosing the appropriate harmonic filter design for a particular
application.

13664745
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13664745
ii Understanding Harmonics and Interharmonics
 INTERHARMONICS Interharmonics Theory
An interharmonic component is defined in
The creation of voltage harmonics and the
International Electrotechnical Commission
effects harmonics have on distribution systems
(IEC) Report 61000 3-6 as a “component having
and end-use equipment have been thoroughly
an interharmonic frequency.”2 For brevity,
discussed elsewhere,1 but interharmonics are in
such components are generally referred to
need of further attention. Before diving into the
as interharmonics. In more simple terms, an
subject, a discussion of what interharmonics are
interharmonic is a noninteger multiple of the
and how they are created is appropriate.
fundamental frequency. For example, a voltage
waveform, v(t), containing a fundamental and
Voltage Waveform with Fundamental and Interharmonic interharmonic component is described by
Component

200 v(t ) = Vm sin (2π 60t ) + 0.02 ⋅ Vm sin (2π 50t ) (1)

150
where Vm = 2 ⋅ 120 . The waveform described
100 by this equation contains a 60Hz fundamental
component, and a 50Hz interharmonic
50
Voltage (volts)

component. The waveform is shown graphically

0 in the figure at left. This figure shows that the
resulting waveform is amplitude modulated (AM)
-50
with a modulation frequency of 10 Hz (60 Hz – 50
-100 Hz). Two interesting features of AM waveforms
are: (1) they are aperiodic and (2) their RMS
-150
value is time varying. In fact, the RMS value of
-200 the waveform described by the equation above
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
Time (seconds) varies sinusoidally at a frequency equal to the
modulation frequency. To illustrate, the figure
at bottom left shows the resulting RMS voltage
computed using a one-cycle (16.67 ms) window.
RMS of Voltage Waveform with Fundamental and Interharmonic
Component As mentioned previously, the resulting RMS
voltage varies sinusoidally around 120 V with
a period of 0.1 seconds (10 Hz). Consequently,
the voltage waveform described by the equation
128
can be problematic if it is a supply source for
126
electric lamps. This phenomenon is referred to as
124 “flicker” and is a common power quality issue.
122
Vrms (volts)

120

118

116

114

112

110
0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4
Time (seconds)

13664745
1 Understanding Harmonics and Interharmonics
Unlike with Interharmonics Generation In general, a frequency converter such as the VFD

harmonics, not Interharmonics are generated by certain shown here will generate interharmonics whose
nonlinear loads. Unlike with harmonics, not frequencies can be described by
all nonlinear
all nonlinear loads generate interharmonics.
loads generate For example, n pulse DC drives do not produce fIh = ( p1m ±1) f1 ± np2 f0 m = 0,1, 2, 3,... n = 1, 2, 3,... (2)
interharmonics. interharmonics. Common nonlinear loads
that do generate interharmonics are variable
frequency drives (VFDs), induction furnaces, where, p1 is the pulse order of the AC-DC
cycloconverters, and AC and DC electric arc converter (rectifier), f1 is the power frequency
furnaces (EAFs). EAFs and induction furnaces (50 or 60 Hz), p2 is the pulse order of the DC-
are in somewhat of a special category, because AC converter (inverter), and f0 is the operating
they generate randomly varying levels of frequency of the inverter.4 The interharmonic
interharmonics. As will be seen later, induction components described by the equation
furnaces (as well as other variable frequency appear as interharmonic currents at the input
loads) can generate interharmonics whose terminals of the VFD. The frequencies of these
frequency varies randomly between physical interharmonic currents appear as side bands of
bounds. both the fundamental frequency component and
harmonics that are generated by the rectifier.
In general, power electronic devices that connect The interharmonics with the largest magnitude
two AC systems with different frequencies are those that appear as side bands of the
through a DC link can be an interharmonic fundamental frequency component and are
source.3 An example of such a device is a VFD described by5
supplying an induction motor, as depicted in
the diagram below. The purpose of the VFD is to
fIh = f1 ± p2 f0 . (3)
vary the frequency and magnitude of the motor
terminal voltage, thereby modifying the torque-
It is not uncommon for the magnitude of
speed curve of the machine and ultimately the
these sidebands to exceed the levels of the
shaft speed.
characteristic harmonics of the AC-DC
converter.6

Induction furnaces, such as the one depicted in

the figure at the top of the next page, are another
application of large frequency conversion
Circuit Topology of a Typical Variable Frequency Drive devices. The inductance and capacitance shown
in this figure form a parallel resonant circuit.
The inductance represents the inductance of the
scrap metal and induction coil, and is a function
of the amount and type of scrap being used as
well as the operating temperature. As a result, the
“equivalent” inductance varies throughout the
melting process. As changes in inductance occur,
the output frequency of the inverter is modified
appropriately to keep the circuit in resonance; in
other words, the output frequency of the inverter
is modified in order to maintain the relationship
ωL = (ωC)-1. While in this operating state, the load

13664745
2 Understanding Harmonics and Interharmonics
Because appears purely resistive (resistor representing with time. The inverter section of the induction

interharmonic eddy current loss, etc., not shown in the figure). furnace depicted in the circuit diagram is a single-
Therefore, it is advantageous to keep the circuit in phase current source inverter (CSI). Thus, the
voltages can cause
resonance. pulse number of the inverter is two. According to
flicker and other equation 3, the worst-case interharmonics (those
system issues, The typical range of operating frequencies for centered around the power frequency) will be of
they should be induction furnaces is 150 to 1200 Hz.7 Note that frequencies described by equation 3, where f1 is
because the output frequency of the inverter equal to 60 and p2 is equal to 2:
limited.
is constantly changing to maintain a resonant
operating condition, the resulting interharmonic
f Ih = f1 ± p2 f 0 = 60 ± 2 f 0 . (4)
spectrum defined in equations 2 and 3 also varies

The figure at bottom left shows the interharmonic

current spectrum from a typical induction furnace
that is operating at 160 Hz.8 The interharmonic
Circuit Diagram of a Three-Phase Induction Furnace currents shown are for a single operating
frequency. The frequency and magnitude of
the interharmonic current spectrum will vary
randomly throughout the melt cycle due to
Controlled DC Link changes in operating frequency.
DC to AC
Inverter
Interharmonic Limits
Rectifier As with harmonics, the flow of interharmonic
current through an impedance creates
interharmonic voltage. Because interharmonic
voltages can cause flicker and other system issues,
Current Frequency Spectrum of an Induction Furnace Operating they should be limited. Similar to their harmonic
at 160 Hz counterparts, interharmonic limits should be
a function of frequency. Although flicker is a
subjective phenomenon, the interharmonic
Current (A) frequency is one of the determining factors
40.0 in whether or not a particular interharmonic
2 f0 ± 60 voltage will cause visible changes in illumination
provided by electric lamps (i.e., flicker). The
30.0
4 f0 ± 60 effect of the lamp-eye-brain response to lamp
13th flicker has been modeled with various transfer
20.0 functions and is a part of the signal chain of the
IEC flickermeter.9 The overall frequency response
5th
11th of the portion of the IEC flickermeter responsible
10.0
for modeling the physiological effects of change
in illumination on the human eye (Block 3) is
0.0 provided in the figure on the following page. This
0 120 240 360 480 600 720 840 960 1080 1200

Frequency (Hz)
frequency response shows the worst-case flicker
frequency to be approximately 8.8 Hz,10 which
corresponds to interharmonic voltages of 68.8 Hz
Source: Dugan and Conrad [8]. and 51.2 Hz.

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3 Understanding Harmonics and Interharmonics
 These suggested limits are based on the level
Overall Frequency Response of IEC Flickermeter Block 3 of voltage fluctuation that results in Pst =
1.0. Evaluation of these limits depends on
understanding how the IEC flickermeter works.
The IEC flickermeter demodulates the input
signal and analyzes the modulating signal.
The IEC flickermeter then filters the remaining
signal (modulating signal) with a bandpass
filter that is constructed with a high pass and
low pass filter with cut-off frequencies of 0.05
Hz and 42 Hz, respectively. Thus, all input
quantities (modulating signals) are band
limited from 18 to 102 Hz (60 – 42 Hz and 60
+ 42 Hz). Consequently, the flickermeter does
not correctly analyze an input signal that has
frequency content above 102 Hz. This is a
significant limitation since there are documented
cases where higher frequency interharmonics
have created objectionable flicker. One
report provides an example where a 187Hz
Source: Horton, Haskew, and Burch [10]
interharmonic voltage was amplified due to
abnormal behavior of a DC electric arc furnace,
resulting in objectionable flicker to nearby
With the concept of frequency dependence
residential customers.12
in mind, interharmonic voltage limits can be
determined.11 Proposed limits that are currently
The concept of interharmonic current limits is
being evaluated by IEEE Harmonic Task Force
also important. Interharmonic current limits
(Standard 519) are based on the response of the
for large nonlinear loads such as electric arc
IEC flickermeter and are shown in the figure
furnaces can be derived from interharmonic
below.
voltage limits using a reference impedance at the
point of common coupling.13 Such limits can be
Proposed Interharmonic Limit Curve particularly useful when trying to mitigate the
possibility of torsional interaction between an
14
EAF and neighboring steam turbine generators.
Interharmonic currents generated by EAFs can
12
Actual limit determined excite one or more of the resonant frequencies
using the flickermeter
10 of nearby steam turbine generators, which can
Interharmonic Limit (%)

result in damage.14
8

6 Suggested interharmonic limits

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Frequency (Hz)

Source: Halpin and Singhvi [11]

13664745
4 Understanding Harmonics and Interharmonics
Depending on the MEASUREMENT AND ANALYSIS instrument transformers manifest themselves

type of instrument as measurement error. Depending on the

Acquiring accurate measurement data is the
type of instrument transformer being used to
transformer being first step in evaluating the potential impacts of
perform harmonic and interharmonic voltage
used to perform harmonic and interharmonic voltage distortion,
measurements, significant errors can occur.
harmonic and and because of the nature of the modern power
The following sections briefly describe some
system, this can sometimes be a daunting task.
interharmonic of the issues associated with using the various
Assuming that the power quality meter of choice
instrument transformers commonly found in MV,
voltage is accurate, two things can make obtaining
HV, and EHV power systems.
measurements, accurate harmonic and interharmonic data
significant errors difficult: (1) measurement error associated
Capacitively Coupled Voltage Transformers
with instrument transformers and (2) signal
can occur. Capacitively coupled voltage transformers
processing inaccuracies, with the latter being
(CCVTs) are commonly used in HV and EHV
more related to interharmonics. The following
networks to measure voltage for protective
sections describe some of the issues associated
relaying and metering functions. They are far less
with measurement and analysis of harmonic and
expensive than wound voltage transformers, and
interharmonic voltages.
as a result they are used extensively.

Instrument Transformers
CCVTs are very accurate at nominal frequency;
Because of the higher voltages associated with
however, they have very poor frequency response
medium voltage (MV) distribution systems and
at other frequencies, which makes them ill
high voltage (HV) and extra-high voltage (EHV)
suited for measuring harmonic or interharmonic
networks, instrument transformers are required
voltage. This inaccuracy at off-nominal
to step down primary voltage signals to levels
frequency is due to the way in which CCVTs are
that are usable for metering and protective
constructed. To illustrate, an equivalent circuit of
relaying. Consequently, inaccuracies in the
a typical CCVT is shown in the figure at left.

Equivalent Circuit of a Typical Capacitively Coupled Voltage Transformer In this figure, C1 and C2 are the main
(CCVT) capacitances, and Cs and Ct are the stray
capacitances of the series reactor and step-
BUS
down transformer, respectively. Rp and Lp are
Cs the resistance and inductance, respectively,
of the step-down transformer referred to the
C1 Rp Lp high voltage winding. FS corresponds to the
ferroresonant suppression circuit and varies
Ls FS
C2 Ct among CCVT manufacturers. The combination
of these elements results in a very poor
frequency response at frequencies other than
Ld the fundamental. To illustrate, the figure on the
following page shows the frequency response of a
typical 242kV CCVT.

13664745
5 Understanding Harmonics and Interharmonics
 These data clearly show that this particular
Frequency Response of a Typical 242kV CCVT CCVT can not be used to accurately measure
harmonics or interharmonic frequency
components above 60 Hz. Other CCVTs show
similarly poor frequency responses, and as
a general rule, CCVTs should not be used to
measure harmonic or interharmonic voltages.15

Wound Potential Transformers

Wound potential transformers (PTs) are used
less often than CCVTs because of their higher
cost. However, they are more accurate, even at
nominal frequency, and as a result are sometimes
used when metering accuracy is of utmost
importance—for example, revenue metering
applications. Also, most straight bus applications
in HV and EHV networks employ PTs.

The frequency response of a wound PT is more

accurate than a CCVT but is limited due to stray
capacitances of the transformer. The use of PTs
The graphs show the gain is unity (0 dB) and
to measure harmonics up to 3 kHz is generally
the phase angle is zero at nominal frequency.
considered acceptable.16
However, at harmonic and interharmonic
frequencies, the per-unit output of the CCVT
Optical Voltage Transformer and Other
varies significantly from its input. The table
Devices
below shows the resulting gain and percent
Optical voltage transformers are the most
measurement error for several common
accurate means of measuring harmonic and
harmonics.
interharmonic voltages. However, they are
more expensive than PTs or CCVTs and require
Gain and Percent Error for Various Harmonic Frequencies digital-to-analog converters to connect to
protective relays and metering equipment. As a
result, their use has been limited to date. Some
Frequency (Hz) Gain (dB) % Error optical voltage transformers have flat frequency
response characteristics up to 100s of kHz,
60 0 0.0 making them superior to CCVTs and PTs.

120 1.89 24.3

Capacitor voltage dividers and resistance voltage
dividers can also be used to accurately measure
180 5.36 85.4
harmonics. Like optical voltage transformers, they
have a flat frequency response characteristic up to
300 21.89 1143.1
100s of kHz, and in some cases in the MHz range.

420 12.04 299.9

Signal Processing
Understanding the signal processing issues
660 –19.58 89.5
associated with monitoring harmonics
and interharmonics is important. Lack of

13664745
6 Understanding Harmonics and Interharmonics
Interharmonics understanding can lead to erroneous power cycle. Thus, several cycles of data are needed to

do not cause quality assessments and conclusions. determine interharmonics. The number of cycles
required is related to the frequency resolution
identical
From a signal processing perspective, that is required. The frequency resolution of
distortion in harmonics are by far easier to determine than the FFT algorithm can be determined using the
each cycle. Thus, interharmonics. As long as the signal is periodic, following equation: 17
several cycles of basic Fourier techniques (e.g., fast Fourier
transform [FFT]) with a one-cycle window can be
data are needed f1
used to determine the harmonic content of the ∆f =
to determine k (5)
signal with the only limitation being Nyquist’s
interharmonics. criterion. Nyquist’s criterion states that the
where ∆f is the frequency resolution (Hz), f1 is
maximum frequency component to be analyzed
the fundamental frequency (Hz), and k is the
should be less than or equal to one-half of the
number of cycles included in the window. For
sampling frequency. For example, if a meter is
example, if a frequency resolution of 5 Hz is
to accurately measure the 7th harmonic (420 Hz
required (the same resolution required by IEC
assuming fundamental frequency of 60 Hz), the
standards) and the fundamental frequency is
meter must sample at a minimum rate of 840
60 Hz, then 12 cycles should be included in
Hz or 14 samples per 60Hz cycle. Thus, devices
the window. Similarly, a 1Hz resolution would
that sample at a rate of 16 samples per cycle are
require that 60 cycles be included in the window.
generally limited to measuring the 7th harmonic.
The problem with using large window sizes is
that in some cases the signals are nonstationary,
As mentioned previously, a one-cycle window
meaning that they vary randomly with time. An
can be used to determine harmonics if the
example of a nonstationary waveform is provided
signal is periodic. In such cases, the resulting
in the figure below, which shows the measured
harmonics cause identical distortion in each
current at the 34.5kV terminals of an AC EAF
cycle. Thus, only one cycle of data is required for
transformer during the initial bore-in period.
signal processing. Interharmonics, on the other
hand, do not cause identical distortion in each
Using a large window to analyze a waveform
such as the one shown can result in significant
Current Waveform of an AC Electric Arc Furnace measurement error. More advanced signal-
processing methods (such as Prony Method,
3 SVD, MUSIC, etc.) are recommended when
analyzing nonstationary waveforms.18
2

1 MITIGATION
Current (kA)

It is well understood that increased harmonic

0 levels can result in problems for utilities and end
users alike. Because of the potential problems
-1 that can be experienced, harmonic levels should
be monitored and limited to satisfactory levels.
-2 IEEE Standard 519 provides recommended limits
for harmonic levels. Per IEEE 519, utilities are
responsible for maintaining harmonic voltage
-3
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 levels to within the specified limits, while end
Time (seconds)
Time (Seconds)

13664745
7 Understanding Harmonics and Interharmonics
 users are responsible for ensuring that their or interharmonic current flows through. The
harmonic current emissions are below specified system impedance can be modified by the use
levels. of capacitor banks or shunt filters. Shunt filters
can also be used as a “sink” for harmonic current
Harmonic and interharmonic voltages are created by nonlinear loads in order to reduce the
created by current flow through an impedance. amount of harmonic current injected into the
Thus, voltage distortion can be mitigated by system.
either reducing the flow of harmonic current
or modifying the impedance that the harmonic Performance of Shunt Compensators
Shunt harmonic filters are typically placed into
Circuit Topologies of Four Common Types of Shunt Filters one of four categories: single-tuned, 1st order
high-pass, 2nd order high-pass, or 3rd order
3rd Order high-pass (also referred to as a C-type filter).
1st Order 2nd Order High-Pass The figure at left shows the circuit topology
Single-Tuned
High-Pass High-Pass (C-type)
associated with each of the four types of shunt
filters that are commonly employed.
C C
C C2
The most common of the four types of shunt
filters are the single-tuned filter and the 3rd order
L R
L R L high-pass (C-type) filter, with the latter being
R
more common in transmission applications19
and low-order harmonic filters for industrial
C1 applications and static volt-ampere-reactive
compensators.

When choosing the appropriate harmonic filter

design for a particular application, it is important
Example System in Need of Voltage Improvement
to understand the frequency response of each
type of filter and how it interacts with the system.

G
This is best illustrated by example. The figure at
left shows an example system that is in need of
voltage improvement.
G
G
Assume that 30 MVAR of shunt compensation
is required at the highlighted 115kV bus. The
G
figure at the top of the following page shows
the terminal frequency response (impedance
G 115 kV
G
magnitude vs. frequency looking into the
terminals of the shunt device with the device
disconnected from the network) for various types
G of shunt filters and a standard shunt capacitor
G bank. For this example, the tuned frequency for
G
all shunt filters was chosen to be 294 Hz (h = 2.9).

13664745
8 Understanding Harmonics and Interharmonics
 The graph shows that the input frequency
Terminal Frequency Response of Various Filter Types responses of all of the filters are essentially
the same with the exception of the single-
450 tuned filter. All high-pass filters provide a low
Cap Only
impedance path for harmonics over a broad
400 Single-Tuned Filter
1st Order HP frequency range, whereas the single-tuned
2nd Order HP
350
filter appears as a short circuit to harmonic
C-Type
current at its tuning frequency with increasing
300 impedance at frequencies higher or lower than
Impedance(Ohms)

the tuning frequency. If one were to solely

250
analyze this graph to assess the performance

200
of each of the filter types, a very erroneous
conclusion would be drawn.
150

Whenever a shunt filter is connected in the

100
system, it interacts with the system impedance,
and in some cases, in an extreme way. Consider
50
our example system. Assume that the available
0 short circuit level at the 115kV bus is 800 MVA
0 500 1000 1500
Frequency (Hz) with X/R of 10. The bottom figure shows the
resulting frequency responses of the various
shunt devices including the effects of the
Driving Point Impedance at 115kV Application Bus
frequency-dependent system impedance (Rsys
+ jωLsys). Results provided show that two of
4500
the shunt compensators (shunt capacitor and
Cap Only
4000 Single-Tuned Filter single-tuned filter) create parallel resonances
1st Order HP (sharp peaks).The figure on the next page
3500 2nd Order HP
C-Type provides a closer view near the area of interest.
3000
Impedance(Ohms)

When a shunt capacitor is connected to a

2500
power system bus, the Thevenin equivalent
2000 impedance “looking” into the bus (also
referred to as “driving point impedance”) is
1500
modified significantly by the application of the
1000 compensator. In the example here, a parallel
resonance was created near 310 Hz. Parallel
500
resonant frequencies near the characteristic
0 harmonics of many common nonlinear loads
0 500 1000 1500
Frequency (Hz) will likely result in significant increases in
harmonic voltage. An increase in harmonic
voltage can also lead to substantial increases in
harmonic current flow in the capacitor, which
can result in loss of life or even damage in
extreme cases.

13664745
9 Understanding Harmonics and Interharmonics
 Filter Application in Radial Systems
Driving Point Impedance at 115kV Application Bus (Close-Up View) In radial systems, limiting the harmonic or
interharmonic current flow will, in general,
reduce the resulting harmonic or interharmonic
1400 voltage. Therefore, mitigation options for radial
Cap Only systems generally focus on minimizing the
Single-Tuned Filter
1200 amount of distorting current that is injected
1st Order HP
2nd Order HP into the system by nonlinear loads. The most
C-Type
1000 common method of minimizing the harmonic
or interharmonic current injection of nonlinear
Impedance(Ohms)

800 loads is by the application of single-tuned

harmonic filters. The figure below shows a typical
600 example in which a shunt filter is used to reduce
the amount of harmonic current injected into the
400 utility system by the nonlinear load (VFD).

200 A harmonic filter such as the one shown is

typically tuned to the lowest characteristic
0 harmonic produced by the nonlinear load.20
240 360 480
Frequency (Hz) Generally, the filter is tuned slightly below this
lowest characteristic frequency to allow for drift
in values of filter component. The frequency
Shunt filters also interact with the system response of the resulting filter and system is
Mitigation options
impedance. The single-tuned filter presents a evaluated to ensure that a parallel resonance
for radial systems is not created at a harmonic or interharmonic
very low impedance path at the tuning frequency,
generally focus but it also creates a parallel resonance. In this frequency that is generated by nearby nonlinear
on minimizing example, the parallel resonance occurred near loads. Filter ratings are computed using filter

the amount of 210 Hz, which is an interharmonic of 60 Hz and Mvar rating, size of nearby nonlinear loads, and
one that can be generated by many nonlinear background harmonic voltage levels.
distorting current
loads such as VFDs, EAFs, and induction
that is injected
furnaces. If a nearby nonlinear load were
into the system by to inject interharmonic current at 210 Hz, a
nonlinear loads. substantial interharmonic voltage would result Example Radial System
that could lead to damaging overvoltages for
filter components.
Sys
As seen in close-up view, the high-pass filters
do not suffer from the same limitations as the
capacitor bank or single-tuned filter. However,
they do not provide the same low impedance
path to currents near the tuning frequency as
does the single-tuned filter. There are trade-offs
between the filter types, and oftentimes the
system type (radial or network) will be a deciding
Linear VFD
factor in determining the necessary filter type.
Load

13664745
10 Understanding Harmonics and Interharmonics
Harmonic filters The design of a harmonic filter bank applied additional loading of filter components, and as a

designed for in a system such as the one depicted in this result, any application of harmonic filters in an
diagram must be carefully evaluated to ensure HV or EHV network must consider the effects of
radial power
that all components are designed adequately. existing shunt capacitor banks.
systems should The short circuit impedance at the bus where the
be designed to filter is connected is typically controlled by the Since the overall harmonic current injection of
accommodate step-down transformer. Thus, large variations in nearby nonlinear loads is unknown in a network
system impedance are typically not an issue for power system, a simple application of Ohm’s
loadings
filter applications in radial systems. However, law can not be used to determine the resulting
associated with
in some situations utility capacitor banks can harmonic voltage. Consequently, the concept
background impact the frequency response of the bus, of voltage gain must be used to determine the
harmonic voltage which in turn affects the loading of the filter. resulting effects on the system. The circuit shown
levels that are Background harmonic voltage levels should below can be used to determine the resulting
also be evaluated to ensure that filter ratings are voltage gain at the point of application, where
compliant
determined correctly. Harmonic filters designed Zsys(s) represents the frequency-dependent
with IEEE 519 for radial power systems such as the one shown source impedance and Zf(s) represents the
standards. in this example should, at a minimum, be frequency-dependent impedance of the shunt
designed to accommodate loadings associated filter or capacitor bank.
with background harmonic voltage levels that are
compliant with IEEE 519 standards.
Equivalent Circuit Used to Determine Voltage Gain

Since the overall Filter Application in Network Systems

harmonic current Although the concept of harmonic filters is rather Zsys(s)
simple, designing harmonic filters that are to
injection of
be installed in HV or EHV networks such as the
nearby nonlinear +
one depicted can be a daunting task. Unlike
loads is unknown +
industrial applications, such as the example
Vsys(s) Vbus(s) Zf(s)
in a network radial system depicted here, the harmonic
power system, the current injected by a particular load or aggregate -
of several loads is not known nor can it be readily -
concept of voltage
estimated. Such information is simply unknown
gain must be used in a networked power system. Additionally, in
to determine the a radial power system, the current injection
resulting effects follows a radial path, whereas in a network power The resulting bus voltage, Vbus(s), can be
on the system. system, it is divided among the numerous paths determined using
of the network. Consequently, estimated or
measured background harmonic voltage levels
must be used to determine filter component Z f (s )
Vbus (s ) = Vsys (s ) (6)
values and ratings. Z f (s ) + Z sys (s )
.
Another difficulty that arises in network
Using this equation, the voltage gain is therefore
applications is the existence of shunt capacitor
defined as
banks that are already in the network. For
years, many utilities have been using unfiltered
shunt capacitor banks as a means of reactive
power support of the HV and EHV network. Vbus ( s) Z f ( s)
Gain = =
The existence of shunt capacitor banks tends Vsys ( s) Z f ( s) + Z sys ( s) . (7)
to create parallel resonances that can cause

13664745
11 Understanding Harmonics and Interharmonics
 Equation 7 can be used to determine the relative An important feature of this figure is to show
increase or decrease in harmonic voltage that the relative change of various frequency
will result from the application of a shunt components; however, to truly evaluate the
compensator. This can be illustrated using the effects of the shunt device, either measured or
previous example system. The figure below estimated background harmonic voltage data
shows the resulting voltage gain at the point of must be available. The table below shows the
application for the various shunt compensators. background harmonic voltage levels, resulting
harmonic voltage (Vh) levels, and percentage of
Voltage Gain from Application of Shunt Compensator total harmonic voltage distortion (%Vthd), once
a particular shunt compensator is connected to
the 115kV bus.

Results in the table indicate that the addition

of a shunt capacitor bank would cause the
resulting harmonic voltage levels to far exceed
the recommended levels specified in IEEE 519.
All other filters maintain acceptable levels of
harmonic voltage distortion. The question then
becomes, which of the filters is best suited for the
environment in which it is placed? The single-
tuned filter is adequate for radial power systems,
but it is susceptible to detuning caused by
variations in system impedance when applied in
network power systems; thus, it has limited use
in HV or EHV networks. First and second order
high-pass filters perform adequately; however,
they are very lossy and, consequently, are not

Harmonic Voltage Data

Single-Tuned 1st Order High- 2nd Order High-

h Vh (%) Cap Only (%) C-type (%)
Filter (%) Pass (%) Pass (%)

2 0.50 0.59 0.61 0.58 0.60 0.60

3 0.50 0.75 1.08 0.71 0.79 0.80

5 0.50 7.57 0.02 1.09 1.04 1.04

7 0.50 0.60 0.18 0.55 0.41 0.40

11 0.50 0.14 0.24 0.20 0.17 0.16

13 0.50 0.09 0.24 0.15 0.13 0.13

Vthd% 1.22 7.65 1.30 1.55 1.51 1.51

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12 Understanding Harmonics and Interharmonics
 preferred. The C-type filter performs adequately
over a broad frequency range and has very low
loss at 60 Hz. Therefore, it is the preferred filter
configuration for HV and EHV applications.

NOTES

1. EPRI, “Understanding Harmonics,” PQ Encyclopedia (2007).

2. International Electrotechnical Commission, “Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) – Part 3: Limits –

Section 6: Assessment of emission limits for distorting loads in MV and HV power”, IEC 61000-3-6.

3. IEEE Task Force on Harmonics Modeling and Simulation, “Interharmonics: Theory and Modeling,” IEEE Transactions
on Power Delivery, vol. 22, no. 4 (October 2007).

4. CEATI, Interharmonics: A Tutorial on Their Sources, Characteristics, Measurement and Mitigation, Centre for Energy
Advancement through Technological Innovation Report No. T054700-5134.

5. CEATI [4].

6. R. C. Dugan and L. E. Conrad, “Impact of Induction Furnace Interharmonics on Distribution Systems,” Proceedings of
the 1999 IEEE Transmission and Distribution Conference, April 1999, pp. 791–796.

7. R. C. Dugan, M. F. McGranaghan, S. Santoso, and H. W. Beaty, Electrical Power Systems Quality, 2nd Edition
(McGraw-Hill, 2002). R. C. Dugan and L. E. Conrad [6].

8. R. C. Dugan and L. E. Conrad [6].

9. International Electrotechnical Commission, “Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) - Part 4: Testing and measurement
techniques - Section 15: Flickermeter - Functional and design specifications,” February 11, 2003, IEC 61000-4-15.

10. R. Horton, T. Haskew, and R. Burch, “A Time Domain AC Electric Arc Furnace Model for Flicker Planning Studies,” IEEE
Transactions on Power Delivery, vol. 24, no. 3 (July 2009).

11. S. M. Halpin and V. Singhvi, “Limits for Interharmonics in the 1–100 Hz Range Based on Lamp Flicker Considerations,”
IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, vol. 22, no. 1 (January 2007), pp. 270–276.

12. L. Tang, D. Mueller, D. Hall, M. Samotyj, and J. Randolf, “Analysis of DC Arc Furnace Operation and Flicker Caused by
187 Hz Voltage Distortion,” IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, vol. 9, no. 2 (April 1994), pp. 1098–1107.

13. S. M. Halpin and V. Singhvi [11].

14. Steam Turbine-Generator Torsional Vibration Interaction with the Electrical Network: Tutorial (Palo Alto, CA: EPRI,
2005). 1011679. Torsional Interaction Between Electrical Network Phenomena and Turbine-Generator Shafts: Plant
Vulnerability (Palo Alto, CA: EPRI, 2006). 1013460. A. Robert, et al., “Electromechanical Oscillations and Torsional
Stresses of Generating Units Located Near Arc Furnaces,” CIGRE Session 1998, 11-206.

15. Lj. Kojovic, M. Kezunovic, V. Skendzie, C. W. Fromen, and D. R. Sevcik, “A New Method for the CCVT Performance
Analysis Using Field Measurements, Signal Processing and EMTP Modeling,” IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery,
vol. 9, no. 4 (October 1994).

16. R. C. Dugan, M. F. McGranaghan, S. Santoso, and H. W. Beaty [7].

17. CEATI [4].

18. Math Bollen and Irene Gu, Signal Processing of Power Quality Disturbances (Wiley-Interscience, 2006).

19. R. Horton, T. Warren, T. Day, J. McCall, and A. Chadhary, “Relaying 230 kV, 100 MVAR C-Type Filter Capacitor Banks,”
Cooper Power Systems Bulletin 03019 (June 2003). Available from www.cooperpower.com.

20. R. C. Dugan, M. F. McGranaghan, S. Santoso, and H. W. Beaty [7].

13664745
13 Understanding Harmonics and Interharmonics
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